Table 2. Comparison of sputum granulocyte numbers and granule protein concentrations between non-EA and EA.
| Variable | Non-EA (n = 15) | EA (n = 43) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eosinophils (×105/mL) | NS | |||
| Median (IQR) | 0.15 (0.06–0.33) | 0.31 (0.02–1.17) | ||
| Log ± SD | 4.1 ± 1.2 | 4.1 ± 1.4 | ||
| Neutrophils (×105/mL) | 0.03 | |||
| Median (IQR) | 2.74 (1.0–5.19) | 4.11 (2.16–7.15) | ||
| Log ± SD | 5.3 ± 0.5 | 5.7 ± 0.6 | ||
| EDN (ng/mL) | NS | |||
| Median (IQR) | 488.6 (460.7–712.3) | 554.8 (446.4–3,866.8) | ||
| Log ± SD | 2.9 ± 0.4 | 3.1 ± 0.6 | ||
| NE (ng/mL) | 0.01 | |||
| Median (IQR) | 1.6 (1.1–2.2) | 2.0 (1.3–8.7) | ||
| Log ± SD | 0.2 ± 0.2 | 0.7 ± 0.6 | ||
p values were calculated using the Student t test for variables with a parametric distribution and the Mann-Whitney U test for nonparametric data.
EA, elderly asthmatics; IQR, interquartile range; SD, standard deviation; EDN, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin; NE, neutrophil elastase; NS, not significant.